The officer says that if the information exists or is held, ministers had to either inform Ms Stihler or issue a refusal notice explaining why it judged the disclosure to be exempt.

BBC: Scottish independence: Timeline on EU advice row

The BBC's Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that the court apparently issued the notice to Mr Musharraf following the refusal on Tuesday by the attorney-general, who represents the government, to defend the former president's position in the case.

BBC: Explain emergency, Musharraf told